Petition calls for B.C. Family Day date change to align with other provinces

Kim Anderson

FILE PHOTO - A 2016 calendar showing February 29, an extra day in February due to a leap year, is shown in Toronto on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016.

Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

February 13, 2017 - 9:32 AM

VANCOUVER - As British Columbians enjoy the long weekend, thousands say the province is celebrating Family Day at the wrong time.

A petition on Change.org is calling for B.C. to align its Family Day holiday with six other provinces, including Alberta and Ontario, which hold it a week later on the third Monday of February.

The petition argues that having the holiday on the second Monday of the month makes it redundant for many workers who still have to do business with parts of the country that don't have the day off.

The call to "Unite Family Day" is supported by B.C.'s Green party leader Andrew Weaver, New Democrat MLA David Eby and a number of investment professionals.

B.C.'s Family Day has been in place since 2013 after public consultations that favoured the earlier weekend for better skiing conditions and reduced traffic over the border into the U.S., which celebrates President's Day the following week.

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